Method of and tape for reproducing pictures or the like



Odie-'15, 1 M. D. M FARLANE ET AL METHOD OF'AND TAPE FOR REPRODUCINGPICTURES OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 7,.1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l J v l WINVENTOR 06b 1929- M. D. M FARLANE ET AL 1,731,345

METHOD OF AND TAPE FOR REPRODUCING PICTURES OR THE LIKE Filed Oct. 7,1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 5 BY %r/K aLM' Y U m 5 z a F m 4 rm J m g1 y ATTORNEY Oct. 15, 1929. M. o. McFARLANE ET AL 1,731,345

uumon or AND TAPE FOR nnrnonucxue PICTURES on THE LIKE Filed Oct. 7,1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1 .5 i .5 J a] T E 0 7 0 o o 0 0 06 600 00 000 0 0CO 00000 0 Q 00 0 v o 0 O0 7 06 00 0 O0 ""7 O 0 o av/NM -N4 32V 2,

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAYNARDDEEDES MCFARLANE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND HARRY GUY BABTHOLO- HEW, OFLONDON, ENGLAND METHOD OF AN D TAI PE FOB REPRODUCIN G PICTURES OR THELIKE Application filed October 7, 1926. Serial No. 140,049.

rated tape having a series of rows of perforations,-each of said rowscorresponding to the tone value of a small area of the picture or thelike which is to be reproduced. Such systems are described in thefollowing British patents No. 195,577 to Batholomew z McFarlane,

No. 197,402 to Bartholomew & McFarlane; No. 209,816 to Bartholomew &McFarlane.

Another object of this inventioii'is to devise a method of and tape forreproducing said pictures whereby the perforations in said tape arepermitted to control the passage of light through apertures which varyin size according to a suitable formula, for causing the reproducedpicture to have substantially the same tone values as the originalpicture.

Another object of this invention is to devise a method of and tape forreproducing pictures whereby the numerical magnitude of a tone valuewill depend not merely upon the number of perforations in a given row ona tape, butalso uponthe relative locations of the said perforations. Itis thereby rendered possible to reproduce a number of tone values orgradations which exceeds the maximum number of perforations in each row.

Other objects of this invention will be set forth in the followingdescription and drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof,it being understood that'the above general statement of the objects ofthis invention is intended merely to generally explain the same and notto limit it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus which may be used forcarrying out the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section. v

Fig. 3 is a view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows the recordtape.

Fig. 6 shows the variation and the size of the light apertures and agraph illustrating the relationship between the diameters of the lightapertures in one embodiment of this invention,

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 and illustrating the samerelationship in another embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the connections between the relaymagnets for locating perforations on the record tape in accordance tothe magnitude of the tone value of each area of the picture which isbeing reproduced.

Fig. 9 diagrammatically illustrates 9. rec 0rd tape in which themagnitude of the tone values is represented solely bythe number ofperforations in a given row. i i

Fig. 10 diagrammatically shows a record tape according to the secondembodiment of this invention, in which the magnitude of a tone value isalso recorded by the location of 70 the perforation or perforations in agiven row, with respect to the central line of the tape.

In the previously issued patents above mentioned, mechanism has beendescribed wherebya plurality of reader points pass over the suitablyprepared picture to be reproduced, said picture consisting of an imageformed in an insulating layer or coating located on a conducting metalplate, so that said reader points open and close separate circuits,dependent upon their contact either with the said conducting plate orthe said insulating layer or coating. The circuits which are opened andclosed by said reader points include electromagnets which actuate se--lectors in a punch mechanism whereby the number of perforations formedin a given row, in a tape which is passed adjacent the punch ,mechanism,is dependent upon the number ofcontacts of the respective reader pointswith-the metal base of the picture to be reproduced. In these previouslyissued patents, apparatus was also described whereby the perforated tapewas led between a source of light and a suitable lens system whichconcentrated the light. shining through the perforations in a point upona light-sensitive film, so that the tone value of each point or smallarea of the image formed upon the light-sensitive film was in proportionto the number of perforations in the respective row on the tape.

In making reproduced pictures with the apparatus set forth in thepreviously issued patents, it has been found impossible to accurately'reproduce very dark .tones, because if the record tape only had asingle perforation in a given transverse line thereof, whichcorresponded to a very'dark tone of the picture to be reproduced, thereproducing apparatus allowed too much light to shine through thissingle perforation. Likewise, the number of tones which could bereproduced could .not exceed the number of perforations on a transverseline of the tape, and this would have required the use of a very widetape to represent a large number of tone values or gradations. Since thewidth of the tape must be' standard in order to utilize existingapparatus forforming a reproduc'tion'of a perfo' rated tape over atelegraph line or the like, this made it practically impossible toproperly represent the requisite number of tone gradations for producinga good reproduction.

According to" the present invention, and in the first .embodimentthereof, a tape T is formed, as shown in Fi s. 5 and'9. This tape T hasa rowof feeding perforations 32- by means of which the tape is fedthrough the reproducing apparatus. It is also provided with transverserows of message perforations 31, the maximum number of such perforationson a given transverse line of the tape being five. The tape is alsoprovided with what may be termed end of the row perforations 33,. therebeing three such perforations in the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, andthese end of the row perforations designate the end of a seriesofmessage perforations corresponding to a single lateral strip of thepicture which is being reproduced.

The apparatus shown in'Figs. 1 and2 has a lamp-house 1 provided with alamp 3 of any suitable type, to which currenti is supplied by means ofthe cable 2. The optical apparatus comprises a condenser lens 4,apertures 5,-a movable stop-diaphragm 6, a con-' centratinglens 7focusing lenses 8, a movable safety shutter 9, and a film drum 10 whichis mounted in a light-tight casing 11. The

various lenses before mentioned are mounted in tubes 12 and 14 which areheld in adjustable fixed position by means of the set screw 15. The tapeis fed transversely between the lenses 4 and 7 by means of the drum 16which has a row of teeth 16, which engage with the feeding perforations32. A guide drum17 is provided for the tape and this is provided with asimilar circumferential row of teeth.

. The tape T is fed through the apparatus from topv to bottom,a's'indicated by the arrow in- Fig. 2. Guide rollers 18 mounted onpivoted arms are also provided, and a guideT is provided at the bottomof the apparatus.

As shown in Fig. 4, the lamp-house is mounted upon a hinge 24 so that itcan be rea'dily swung away from the rest of theapparatus. Also, and asshown in Fig. 4, the drum 16 is provided with grooves or recesses 25 and26. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, stripping fingers 27 are provided, thesestripping fingers being'adapted to enter the grooves 25 and. 26 so as tostrip the film from the drum 16, as indicated in Fig. 2. The width andlocation of the stripping fingers are such that they bear on the-filmintermediate the message perforations 31, so that the action of. thestripping fingers does not enlarge the message perforations 31 andthereby injure the film.

In order to control the amount of light passing to the light-sensitivefilm, five separate shutters 20 are provided, as shown in Fig. 4.Likewise, two apertures 5 areprovided through. which the light passesfrom the condensing lens 4, to then pass through the messageperforations in the tape. As shown in Fig. 4, one of these apertures 5has a width equivalent to twoof the message perforations .31,.and theother aperture 5 has a width equivalent to three of the messageperforations 31. The shutters 26 are separately adjustable by means ofthe screws 21, which pass through a clamping plate 22 having fiveopenings provided with suitable internal threadings, so that the turningof ecah screw 21 moves the respective shutter 20 up and down withrespect to its adjacent aperture 5. A guide plate 23 is provided.

.As shown in Fig. 4, the bottoms of the shutters 20 are of angular shapeso as to permit a more flexible adjustment of the said apertures. Itlikewise will be noted in Fig. 4 that the plate having the apertures 5therein, is solid at the point corresponding to the feeding perforations32.

As shown in Fig. 6, the shutters 20 are adjusted so that the fiveseparate apertures in the openings 5 formed thereby have the arearelationship indicated by the circles A, B, G, D and E in- Fig. 6. Asshown by the graph 35, the-relationship between the respective areas Iof the said five perforations A-E inclusive is substantially linear.Hence, if ascertain area of'the picture to be reproduced is very dark,

almost a pure black, and only a single perforation is formed in therecord tape, the location to the light-sensitive film. Likewise, whenthe picture has the next gradation or tone value at a given areathereof, so that two per-. forations are formed-in the record tape,these two perforations will control the apertures vA and B. Experiencehas shown that by thus regulating the light which falls upon the to avery dark tone value, and the other rows of perforations correspondingrespectively to lighter tone values.

According tothis method, only five tone values or gradations can bereproduced, and this is frequently insuflicient to secure an accuratereproduction.

In order to permit a record tape having no more than five perforationsin a given lateral line to record ten tone values, the record tape shownin Fig. 10 is utilized. In this tape, the bottom perforation representsthe darkest tone value of the picture which is being reproduced,'itbeing noted, however, that if the corresponds to the lightest tone valueof the object which has been photographed. The single perforation in thenext row corresponds to the next tone value, which would correspond tothe first row of message perforations from the bottom depicted in Fig.9. In other words, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the magnitude ofa tone value is not merely represented by the number of perforations ina given transverse line of the tape, but it is also represented by thelateral location of said perforation or perforations.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the two perforations shown in thethird transverse line represents the third tone value, the singleperforation shown in the fourth row represents the fourth tonevalue, andso on, until nine tone values are represented, the tenth tone value,which is an absolute black,

being indicated by the total absence .of all perforations. By suitablychoosing the permutations of the five message perforations,

a maximum of thirty-two tone values can be recorded, but the recordingof ten tone values has been found suflicient for practical purses.

In order to form the message perforations I as indicated in Fig. 10, theapparatus diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 8 is utilized. This showsnine relay magnets 36 having armatures 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46and 47 re-.

spectively, these armatures serving as switch levers which may be movedfrom their normal positions shown in Fig. 8, so that. the armatures 39,41,43, 46 and 47 can contact with the switch terminals 39',-41, 43', 46'and 47 Likewise, when these magnets are ener- I gized, they cause thearmatures 40, 42, 44 and '45 to. separate from the switch terminals withwhich they are in contact, and to respectively contact with theterminals 40,.42', 44' and 45.

' The nine relay magnets 36 are connecte'din series to a source ofelectric current 37, and the circuit includes a photo-electric cell 38.

A second source of current 48 has one terminal thereof connected to thearmatures, as shown in Fig. 8. The other terminal of the source ofcurrent 48 is connected to each of the coils of the five selectormagnets, which are not illustrated, as selective punch mechanism of thistype is described in the patents previously mentioned, and has also beenknown for a great many years in connection with telegraph systems. Theother ends of the five coils of the five selector magnets arerespectively connected to the conductors S, S S", S and S The picture tobe reproduced is formed upon a substance such as celluloid or the likewhich is permeable to light, and a beam of light is allowed to shinethrough the successive areas of the picture and to then fall upon thephoto-electric cell. The resistance of the picture which 1s beingreproduced 1s a negative, that'this darkest tone value ofcoursephoto-electric cell therefore varies in accordance with the tonevalue of each small area of the picture which is being reproduced, andthe amount of current flowing through the coils of the nine relaymagnets also varies accordingly. The nine relay magnets are of uniformlygraduated sensitiveness, so that the left-hand magnet 36 responds to thesmallest current to actuate its armature 39, the second magnet 36 (aswell as the first magnet) actuate their respective armatures when thecurrent has reached its-second stage of intensity, etc., so thatall'nine magnets respond when the picture which is being reproduced hasits lightest tone value, it being understood that the picture which isbeing reproduced is preferably a negative.

When the armature 39 contacts with the switch terminal 39', the currentfrom the battery 48 passes through the armatures 45, 44, 42 and 40 tothe switch terminal 39, through the intermediate connections shownin-Fig. 8, so that the selector magnet corresponding to the leftconductor S has its coil energized, thereby actuating the selector whichcauses the formation of a perforation corresponding to the bottom row inFig. 10.

When a current of the second degree of intensity passes through therelay magnets, this causes the armature 39 to touch the switch terminal39' and the armature 40 is also moved to contact with the terminal 40.The current now passes from the plus terminal of the battery 48 throughthe armatures 45, 44

and 42 as before, but the current does not pass to the switch terminal39' because of the change in position of the armature 40. Hence, thecurrent from battery 48 only passes to the conductor S thus causing theenergizing of a single selector magnet and the formation of through thearmature 41 to the terminal 41,

and thence to theswitch terminal 39' by the connection shown. Thecurrent also passes through the armature 40' to the switch termi-.armatures 39, 40, 41' and 42 are moved to the right torespectively'contact with the terminals 39, 40, 41 and 42. This causesthe current to pass only to the conductor S because the movement of thearmature 42 to the right. throws the conductors S" and S out of theshown in the second embodiment, the lateral circuit. Hence, the singleperforation shown in the fourth row of Fig. 10 will be formed.

When acurrent of the fifth degree ofintensity is passed through therelay magnets, the armatures 39,140, 41, 42 and 43 are moved torespectively contact-with the switch terminals 39, 40, 41, 42' and 43.The current therefore passes to the three conductors S, S and S by theconnections shown.

When the current passing through the relay magnets has the sixth degreeof intensity, then the armatures 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44 are actuatedto respectively contact with-the switch terminals 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and44. Since the armature 44 is moved.

to the right of the osition shown in Fig. 8,

this throws the con uctors S, S and S out 44 and 45 are actuatedtorespectively contact with the switch terminals 39, 40',-41, 42',

43', 44 and 45. Since the armature-45 is moved to the rightof theposition shown in .Fig. 8, this position cuts out of the circuit theconductors. S S S and S, so that only the conductor S is-maintained inthe circuit,

thus producing the single perforation shown in the seventh-row of Fig.10;

When the circuit has theeighth degree of intensity, the 'armatures 39,40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45and-46 aremoved to respectively con tact with theswitch terminals 39, 40, 4 1,

the two perforations shown in the eighth row of Fig. 10.

When the circuit has the ninth degree of intensity, all the armaturesare moved to respectively contact with the switch terminals 3947inclusive, and the five selectors are thrown into the circuit of thebattery 48- because of the cross-connections between the switchterminals-39 47 inclusive which are shown in Fig. 8. For example, thereis a direct connection between terminal 47 and terminal 41 so thatcurrent will pass through the armature 41, to the armature 40 and the Iterminal 40, to conductor S As shown by graph 35 in Fig. 7, therelationship between the apertures A, B, C, D. and E is expressed by agraph having different inclinations at the ends thereof with respect toa horizontal axis.

It can be-seen from Fig. 7 that the location of a perforation orperforations shown in Fig. 7 substantially affects the amount of lightshining upon the reproducing film.

Hence, according to the improved method location of a messageperforation or perforations is associated with light apertures of methodutilized in connection with a standard type of machine which formsperforations in therecord tape, it is understood that the invention isnot limited to this particular type of record or marking of the tape.Preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown, but it is clearthat numerous changes and omissions could be made-withof messageperforations varyingin number in proportion to the magnitude of thesuccessive tone values, which consists in causlng said messageperforations to control the passage of light to a light-sensitive filmthrough a row of a ertures whose size varies in accordance with the tonevalues to be reproduced.

2. A method of reproducing a picture or I the like whose successive tonevalues have been recorded upon a tape by means of rowsof messageperforations varying in number and transverse location in proportion tothe magnitude of the successive tone values which consists in causingsaid message perforations to control the passage of light to alight-sensitive film through a row of apertures. whose size varies inaccordance with the tone values to be reproduced.

3. A method of reproducing a picture or the like whose successive tonevalues have been recorded upon a tape by means of rows of messageperforations varying in number a nd lateral location in proportion tothe magn1tude of the successive tone values, which consists 1n causingsaid message perforations to control the passage of light to/alightsensitivefilm through apertures whose size vanes in-accordancewitli the tone values to be reproduced, the relation between the areasthe successive tone values by varying the lateral number and thelocations of the said perforations.

5. A record tape havlng successive rows of message perforations whichrespectively correspond to the successive tone values of a picture, thesaid tone values being recorded by the number and lateral location ofthe message perforations in the said successive rows, the black tonebeing represented by the absence of perforations.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

MAYNARD D. MQFARLANE. In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix mysignature.

HARRY GUY BARTHOLOMEW.

